Masquerade
by burningdarkfire
Summary: "Just remember ... they can't hurt you."  Based on The Shining by Stephen King.  Eventual KuroFai, with bits of DouWata and SyaoSak.  Written for kuroxfai pop Halloween challenge.
1. Arrival

**Masquerade**

_Part I. Arrival _

The first thing Fai noticed about the new world was the wind that tore at his face like a savage beast. He huddled into his fur coat; his companions all instinctively tried to do the same but their thin cloaks flapped uselessly around their bodies. Fai glanced around quickly and saw that they were on a poorly paved road, with a cluster of buildings only a small distance away.

"We better find some shelter quickly." Kurogane narrowed his eyes against the wind as if he could frighten it into obedience. "It seems like there's a storm on the way."

The rest of the group all nodded their agreement and they quickly set off walking in the direction of the town. Syaoran edged a bit closer to Sakura and offered her his cloak quietly.

"I couldn't possibly," Sakura responded. Although Fai was behind her and couldn't see her face, he was quite certain she was smiling at him gently. "You look frozen, Syaoran-kun."

"I-it's nothing," he stammered. "If you're cold, it's really nothing at all …"

Sakura's answer was lost as Fai heard something behind them and turned to see a large – car, was it? – just as the driver hit the horn and the car let out an threatening blast of sound. Kurogane growled rudely at the man behind the wheel, but he moved to the side of the road to let him pass.

They all staggered into the first building they came across, which appeared to be the library. Fai headed immediately towards the information desk, trying to work a smile onto his frozen face.

"Is there anywhere we can stay for a few days?" He asked after dinging the small bell.

The librarian considered him for a moment. She looked to be forty-some years old, with glasses that seemed to pinch her face. "There's an inn just a few meters down the road. May I ask where you came from …?"

"We're travelers," Fai explained brightly. When the woman continued to stare at him suspiciously, Fai looked over his shoulder at the other three members of the group (Mokona was huddled out of sight in Syaoran's arms) and gave a slight shrug. "We came from really far away. We're not here to cause any trouble."

"We just wanted to do some research," Syaoran put in, reusing the excuse from the Country of Jade. "On myths and legends of this area. Could you help us?"

The lady seemed to relax a bit. "You've come to the right place then. I've never heard of a place with as bloody a history as the Kleine, just up the mountain. I swear that resort has had more murder done in its halls than any other in the entire country."

"Is it a rough crowd?" Fai asked mildly.

The librarian shook her head. "It used to be a really classy place, a couple of decades back. Now it still caters to the rich and famous, but it's a lot more private. There are no more balls, or charity lunches, or any other events held there anymore."

"Could we go up and see it?" Syaoran asked, his gaze straying to Sakura for a moment. She smiled at him and he flushed slightly before smiling back. "It would really help with our research."

"I don't know if you would be able to," the librarian frowned. "They're closing up for the season tomorrow; they probably don't want any new visitors."

"We're looking for a place to stay tonight anyway," Fai said cheerfully. "I'm sure they wouldn't mind some more business."

The lady looked thoughtful for a moment. "If you do go up the mountain, maybe you could talk to the manager about getting jobs as the winter caretakers. He was still looking for someone yesterday; he came into the library to post up a notice. If you're willing to stay for that long, I'm sure you would be able to find plenty of interesting things in the Kleine."

"An entire winter?" Syaoran asked, an uncomfortable look on his face. They hadn't stayed for long in any world they had visited so far, and if they took up jobs they would be honor bound to see them through.

"More like half a year, really," the librarian confessed. "Winters are much longer and harsher here. It's only October now, and I don't think the resort reopens until April."

"How much do you know about it?" Kurogane questioned gruffly.

"Not much; I only moved here myself a couple of months ago."

The group all shared a glance amongst them and it was Fai who chirped up with their decision. "I guess we'll go up and take a look then."

* * *

Fai's first thought as he got his first glimpse of the resort through the trees was that it had a malevolent air, as if it was waiting for the next tasty snack it would get. The wind that was still tearing savagely through the air didn't affect the grand building at all; rather, it seemed to leave a small circle as if respectfully leaving the place alone.

Fai squashed down his uneasy feelings as the truck crawled to a stop in front of the Kleine and everyone hopped out. They were all wearing new clothes, purchased in town before they had found someone willing to drive them up here.

"You'll be able to make use of the ballroom and dining room and everything, I expect," the man who had given them a ride said in awe. He too was a newcomer to town and hadn't minded leaving his dimly lit bookshop for an hour to drive up and back down. "I hear they used to have these big events, with fancy ball gowns and all that …"

"How wonderful," Sakura replied, her usually perky smile on her face, though it looked a bit strained. Fai wondered if the building looming over them was affecting her as well.

They all thanked the man and Syaoran led the way into the resort. When he pushed open the heavy front doors, a warm light spilled out onto the bare ground, and Fai immediately felt more at ease. He stepped into the lobby and took in the twin staircases leading up to the second floor, the roaring and cackling fireplace, the soft velvet couches, and the swarm of people dressed in furs and clutching snake-skin bags.

"I'm looking forward to a nice winter on the beach," a young lady said giggling to her friend. She looked up at the sound of an aging man calling her name, and raised her voice to answer. "I'm coming, sweetheart!" Lowering her voice again, she whispered, "He thankfully still has no idea about William; I just keep on telling him I've got a date with my girlfriends …" With a last wink, she hurried off to who Fai assumed to be her husband.

"There are so many people here," Sakura said softly, jolting Fai out of his thoughts. He glanced over at her and saw that her face seemed oddly subdued and the forced smile was gone. She was huddled in her jacket, even though the interior of the Kleine was quite warm.

"We'll go to the front desk and ask for the manager," Syaoran decided, shooting Sakura a worried look. "It's not doing us any good to be standing by the door with all the cold air coming in and out."

They all followed his lead to the front desk. As Syaoran waited patiently in line behind three others, Sakura at his side, Fai was aware of a presence lurking at his side.

"What's the matter, Kuro-pon?" Fai turned to offer the ninja a smile, although it seemed to take more effort than before to twitch his lips upward.

The other man watched him for a few moments, red eyes burning into him, before speaking. "You're quiet."

"Uwah, is Kuro-daddy worried about Fai-mommy?" Fai exclaimed, leaning forward to poke Kurogane in the chest. "Not to worry, Fai-mommy is perfectly healthy and ready to satisfy all of Kuro-daddy's needs!"

As he had hoped, the ninja flushed a dark red and swatted at Fai, roaring, "Don't say random things like that!" Fai ducked, laughing, as Kurogane chased him all over the lobby. He found comfort in the old pattern, the old habit of being pursued but knowing that he wouldn't be caught.

When at last Fai was perched on the handrail on the second floor, with Kurogane glaring at him from the bottom of the staircase, they had attracted a large audience. The front desk clerk had given them an uninterested glance and gone back to speaking to the old lady in front of him, who was too busy gaping at the spectacle to pay him any attention.

"Kuro-rin," Fai stage-whispered, cupping his hands around his mouth theatrically, "I think we're being watched."

"Your damn fault," Kurogane muttered angrily in response, although he uncurled his fists and crossed his arms instead. "Come down from there."

Fai grinned – he hoped Kurogane would say that – and slid down the banister with a loud "Wheee!" Kurogane grabbed his arm with a discontent huff and dragged him away from the crowd. Just to aggravate the ninja further, Fai blew a few kisses into the crowd.

"Quit being such an idiot," Kurogane hissed once they were out of view in a hallway leading away from the lobby. "If we want to stay here and look for the princess's feather, we have to get hired first!"

"Kuro-tan was the one chasing me," Fai pouted, making a show of rubbing his arm where Kurogane had held onto him. "You hurt me too!"

Kurogane grunted something that might have been an apology and fixed Fai with another long look. He fidgeted under the scrutiny and resisted the urge to look away, knowing it would only raise more question. Instead, he plastered another small smile on his face.

Kurogane growled. "If you want to keep you secrets and your past to yourself, fine. I don't care. But if there's something wrong, something here that can hurt the princess or the kid, then you need to tell me."

Fai looked away, to the flickering light above the other's spiked hair. "There's nothing wrong, Kuro-puu."

Kurogane turned around and stalked away.

"There's nothing wrong," Fai repeated. "There's nothing wrong with this place …"

* * *

For the first time in a long while, Fai dreamed of the tower. His fingers were slipping again as he tried to climb up the wall. With a last desperate effort, he scrambled up another few centimeters before slipping down with a muffled thud.

"Sorry," he whispered dully to the body he had landed on. He licked his cracked lips and rubbed the blood off his fingers onto his grimy robe. "I have to get up somehow …"

A distant scream floated down to him. He was on his feet again in a flash, clawing desperately at the wall. "Fai! FAI!"

"Yuui!"

"FAI!"

"Yuui … why did this happen?"

"FAI!" Fai's grip on the wall slipped and he fell down again. To his horror, the body beneath started moving, and a single blue eye slowly opened.

"Yuui … why did you have to kill me?"

* * *

Fai woke up slowly, his heart still pounding in horror. His left hand shot to his right wrist, where a moment ago a cold decomposing hand had clamped onto it. When there was nothing there, he relaxed slightly and turned over to face the ceiling.

He closed his eyes, feeling the burden of all his secrets pressing down on him, and opened them again a few moments later, afraid of drifting off again. A flicker of movement caught his attention and he became aware that the shadows in his room were _moving_ – but even as he came to this conclusion, the ceiling was still.

"Nightmares," Fai muttered, forcing himself to turn onto his side. "Shadows don't move."

A muffled footstep sounded outside his door.

"It's nothing," he whispered, then repeated out loud. "It's nothing. We're perfectly safe in this place."

Another thump, further off.

"Nothing," he said again, turning back onto his stomach. "Nothing, nothing."

He closed his eyes firmly.

Around him, the shadows buzzed and watched.

* * *

"Fai-san … you look terrible," Syaoran said with surprise the next morning. He promptly flushed and continued, "I-I mean, you l-look really tired, that's all."

Fai managed a worn smile and flopped down at the table in the grand dining room. Theirs was the only table that didn't have chairs placed neatly on top and white cloths draped over them. "I didn't sleep very well, that's all."

"Me neither," Sakura added, rather unexpectedly. Syaoran looked at her with concern. "I had a nightmare … the shadows were trying to capture me …" She shuddered and stared down at the tabletop. "It was horrible."

"W-would you like me to s-stay with you tonight until you fall asleep?" Syaoran offered, blushing. "I don't want you to feel scared …"

"I won't feel scared if Syaoran-kun's around!" Sakura declared, shooting him a brilliant, but shy smile. "Thank you for the offer, Syaoran-kun. I-if you wouldn't mind …"

"N-no trouble at all," the boy stuttered. Fai smiled gently at the two of them just as Kurogane stormed into the room.

"Kuro-pon sure is grumpy this morning!" Fai chirped, waving his hand with a flourish to the remaining chair beside him. "Did he have a scary nightmare too?"

"I don't get nightmares," Kurogane growled, but he didn't quite meet Fai's eyes as he sat down. "What are we waiting for?"

"Sorata-san, the manager, is coming to meet us about the job," Syaoran explained. "The cook is making breakfast for us now. He'll give us a quick tour of the resort, if we're interested."

"I think we should stay," Fai offered, resting his chin on his hands. "This seems like the best bet for Sakura-chan's feather."

The other two males both spoke or grunted their agreement. Sakura thanked them timidly. "I hate to be a bother …"

"No bother at all, Sakura-chan!" Fai reassured her cheerfully. "We'll be like a happy family, on a winter vacation!"

"Alone in a resort, with nothing to do for months …" Kurogane grumbled. "I bet we'll be buried in snow, too."

"That's right!" A young man, who Fai assumed to be the manager, strutted in. "You'll have no way out except for by snowmobile, and that can take up to an hour in extreme weather conditions! There will be no contact with anyone else, except by radio, but that tends to give up during the stormy season. You will be responsible for the care of this old place and if you mess up, I will return and pound you all to bits! Alright?"

He said this all with an extremely bright grin. Stunned, the group nodded.

"Excellent!" Sorata clasped his hands together. "I have to run; my honey is waiting for me just outside. Watanuki-san should be in soon with your food, alright? You can direct all other questions to him! Okay, good luck, have a merry Christmas, a happy New Year, a romantic Valentine's Day, and a good time in general!"

With a final parting cheery wave, Sorata rushed out. Everyone stared after him, their trance only broken when a skinny male, looking like he was barely out of his teens, walked in pushing a cart.

"Sorata-san got to you, huh?" The cook smiled and wheeled the food to right by Syaoran and Sakura. "Don't worry; he's usually a little bit more normal." Seeing their disbelieving looks, he chuckled and set about placing plates on their table. "This is the last meal that you won't be making yourselves, so I suggest you enjoy. I'm Watanuki Kimihiro, by the way."

"Thank you! This looks delicious," Sakura clapped her hands together in delight. "How wonderful! So much food, all for us?"

Watanuki laughed. "Eat up. If you don't finish it all, you can save it for later." A slight frown crossed his face. "Make sure you hide it though. The oaf has a bad habit of digging out my cooking and helping himself to it."

Before anyone had a chance to ask who he was referring to, the front desk clerk from the previous day walked in. "I smell food."

"It's not for you," Watanuki snapped, slapping at the hand that was creeping forward. "Let them eat in peace!"

The newcomer looked at them and his gaze settled on Syaoran. "You're the boy from yesterday."

"Y-yes," Syaoran stammered, looking embarrassed at being singled out. "We're planning to stay as the winter caretakers."

"Good luck," the tall man said before snatching a sausage and biting down.

"You idiot!" Watanuki screeched, flailing his arms around. Fai was a little bit startled at how the cook's good-natured personality seemed to disappear around this person. With a final huff, Watanuki turned to face them again. "This useless lump is Doumeki."

"Nice to meet you," Sakura said politely, a small smile gracing her lips at Watanuki's antics. "Will you be giving us a tour too?"

"Yepp. We're going to spend the winter together in my house," Doumeki told them, draping an arm casually around Watanuki's waist. The cook flushed but didn't try to pry him off.

Fai giggled as he reached out for a piece of bread, toasted to perfection. "I see …"

"You make it sound dirty," Watanuki muttered. He placed the last plate in front of the four travelers and stepped back. "I'll leave you four here to eat, and I'll come back in half hour to give you a tour. Does that sound okay?"

Everyone nodded their agreement and the duo left the room.

From faintly down the hall, they heard Watanuki screech, "Not right here in the hall! Get your hand off my ass!"

Syaoran choked on his eggs.

* * *

"And that's it," Watanuki finished with a last gaze around the lobby, as if there might be something else he had forgotten. "It's simple enough, really. Just make sure the pipes don't freeze and nothing else funny happens, and your job is done." He tossed to keys to Kurogane. "Those are the master set of keys, but it's probably best if you don't go into any of the rooms."

"We don't need to air them out or anything?" Syaoran asked, his brow furrowed. Fai had had a hard time keeping a straight face at the boy's intense concentration during their tour.

Watanuki shook his head. He said, hesitantly, "As you might know, the Kleine has a bloody history. There are some things best left undisturbed."

Fai gave a slight shiver.

"Ready?" Doumeki reappeared from loading their car.

"I'll come when I'm ready," Watanuki retorted, but he didn't resist being directed to the door. With a final glance over his shoulder at the group, he gave them a small wave. "You have our phone number, so give me a call if something happens, and remember: _they can't hurt you_."

The door closed behind him.

"What did he mean by that?" Sakura asked timidly. "What can't hurt us?"

"The bastard," Kurogane growled, shooting an angry look at the imposing doors. "Saying random things like that. He probably means there are rats or something around here, this place is old enough."

"Do you think the feather's here in the building somewhere?" Syaoran asked worriedly, looking around. "It's a really big place."

"We'll just have to search," Fai said cheerfully, ushering them away from the door to the couches in front of the fireplace. "We have all winter though, and it seems nice enough here. Let's enjoy ourselves!" He looked around. "Where's Mokona?"

"She was still sleeping in my room when I left," Sakura said quietly. In alarm, she half-stood from her seat beside Syaoran on the loveseat. "Do you think it's okay for me to have left her?"

"I'm sure it's no problem," Fai said decidedly. "We'll just rouse her later. But for now, let's have some fun!"

* * *

**A/N **- The vast majority of this was written today (What? Me? Procrastinate? Nooooo.) This is based on Stephen King's novel _The Shining_, which is the only horror book I have ever read, except it's much less creepy because I got creeped out just _writing_ it. (I'm easily frightened XD)

Huge thanks to my beta for reading and correcting this super last minute! I'm in the middle of writing the second part, but I just really wanted to post this on Halloween XD.

Written for the Halloween Contest on kuroxfai_pop (deadline is in 10 days. Must finish. D: )


	2. Social Hour

**Masquerade**

_Part II. Social Hour_

"Fai-san! Kurogane-san!"

Fai looked up, distracted from their game of 'chess', as Syaoran had called it. The boy had explained the rules to both of them, then had hastily retreated when Fai had lost interest and started tossing the little pieces at Kurogane's head.

Now, the ninja was bent over the board, frowning intently as he studied the position of the knight his hand was hovering over.

"Kuro-pii," Fai whined, batting a hand lightly at Kurogane's outstretched one. "Hurry up and move! This game is so boring and the children are calling!"

"You owe me one game after that pointy cross thing nearly missed my eye," Kurogane snapped, eyes still glued to the board. "You're the one who's losing; don't tell me to go any faster!"

"But Kuro-chan!" Fai cocked an ear and then pointed at the landing on the second floor just as Sakura ran into view, Mokona in her arms. Syaoran followed not far behind, his face pale. "Sakura-chan? Syaoran-kun? What's the matter? Whatever it is, I'm sure Kuro-daddy here can help you!"

"No," Kurogane growled, finally snatching up the knight and knocking one of Fai's black pawns over. Fai swiftly plucked the knight off the board and moved one of his rooks onto its square. "Damnit!"

"Don't mind him," Fai told the two teenagers airily. "He's just sour about losing."

"I'm not losing!"

"Whatever you say, Kuro-tan."

"Fai-san," Sakura interrupted, and this in itself was so unlike her that Fai turned immediately to listen. "It's Mokona. She won't wake up!"

"Good riddance," Kurogane muttered, moving his bishop.

Fai slapped his hand. "Naughty Kuro-wanwan! You can't do that! Your king would be in check!" When Sakura opened her mouth to interrupt again, a distressed look on her face, Fai held his hands out for Mokona and the girl transferred the white creature into his hold.

The small white bundle was cold, much too cold for anything alive, even if it was created. Fai had a sudden flashback to the brutal winters of Celes, and the freshly fallen snow that he could pack into a snowball. Ashura would sometimes consent to having a quick battle, or one of the servants would be sent in his place.

When Fai was older, the snowball forts he had once built, when he was slowly regaining his lost childhood, were used to illustrate the plans for battle. Instead of playing outside in the gardens, he stayed inside with Ashura and listened attentively as the king explained to him how to deal with the frequent raids by bandits as well as the uncertain peace between Celes and Rhalik, the country to the west.

"Fai-san!" Sakura frightened voice jolted him out of his memory, and Fai blinked to see that he was squeezing Mokona. He hastily relaxed his grip.

"I don't know what's wrong," he said, turning her over. "Mokona," he called gently, but the bundle in his hands didn't stir.

"It's like –" Syaoran swallowed thickly. "It almost looks like the magic has gone out of her. Now Mokona is just an empty shell."

"Don't say that!" Sakura cried out, taking the body from Fai's hands and hugging it to her chest. "Mokona is Mokona, just like she always says!"

"If something truly bad had happened," Kurogane said, his eyes thoughtful, "That witch surely would have chased us down by now and demanded some sort of extreme payment for it. We just have to wait until the pork bun wakes up again."

"But Mokona was our only link to Yuuko-san," Syaoran pointed out worriedly. "What if she is trying to contact us, but can't?"

"She could, if she wanted to," Fai said quietly. "But perhaps the price for her is too great."

"You mean we might be stuck here forever?" Kurogane looked outraged at the very idea. "I _paid_ that witch to go back to Nihon, not to be stuck in some hellhole for the rest of my life!"

"This place isn't so bad," Fai heard himself say cheerfully. "We're perfectly safe here, and nothing can hurt us."

"Yes," Sakura said, with little conviction. "I'm sure Mokona will wake up soon and we'll be able to leave. I'm sure everything will be alright." When Syaoran laid an arm on her shoulder hesitantly, she managed a small smile and repeated with a bit more force, "Everything will be alright."

"Can you call up the witch?" Kurogane asked, his eyes guarded as he watched Fai. "Use your magic."

Fai shrugged, lifting his lips up in an imitation of a smile. "No can do, Kuro-chu. I can't use magic anymore!"

"Won't," the ninja corrected, a frown settling onto his face.

A moment passed in silence, until Sakura shifted her weight slightly.

"You should get to bed," Syaoran said almost right away, as she sagged a little. "Princess, you look tired."

"It's nothing," she yawned daintily. "I can stay up a bit longer."

"Let's tell stories around the fireplace!" Fai suggested brightly. "I'm sure you have lots of good stories from all your travels, Syaoran-kun, or Kuro-rin, how about all your suspicious exploits as a ninja?"

"What do you mean suspicious!" Kurogane narrowed his eyes threateningly, but didn't get up. "What about our game?"

"I surrender!" Fai swept his hand across the board and sent the pieces flying onto the ground, scattering everywhere underneath the small coffee table.

"You idiot!" Kurogane cursed, and bent to pick up a pawn. Fai chuckled and threw his queen at the spiky head of hair. "Damnit! Don't throw things! Especially not pointy things!"

"I like this game much better!" Fai declared with a happy sigh. "Kuro-pon is just so much fun to play with!"

* * *

"You look troubled," Fai said conversationally. He crossed his legs and leaned more comfortably against the wall, bodies shifting underneath him.

Yuui wrinkled his nose slightly at the smell. "Something happened today; that's all. I'm okay now that I'm back with you, Fai."

"Tell me about it," his brother ordered, shaking back his long hair to watch Yuui. "It'll make you feel better."

"There's … a friend of mine," Yuui started slowly, unsure how to phrase it so that his brother might understand. "We can't wake her up, and we're not sure what's wrong with her."

"Perhaps there's nothing wrong," Fai said confidently, but Yuui bit his lip uncertainly. "She's probably just tired. All you have to do is wait a while, and she'll be back to the way she was before."

"Maybe …"

"Trust me." Fai stood up, and a smile distorted his face. Yuui forced himself not to shrink away in fright and instead got up as well. "Come on, I want to show you something."

"W-what is it?"

"Don't be frightened, Yuui," he said gently. "I just want to show you were I've been waiting for you to come back. I'm sorry if I scared you last time, but you surprised me; that's all."

Yuui rubbed his wrist absentmindedly but allowed himself to be led to a flight of stairs, and wondered dimly why he had never noticed them before. One set led down, and the other up.

"Aren't we going up?" He asked, as his twin started down. "Weren't you trapped at the top?"

"Oh, no," Fai said, tilting his head up with an odd sneer on his face that Yuui found frightful. "Ever since I fell, I can't get back up. I'm not allowed."

"Not allowed by who?"

Fai smiled again and shrugged. "Don't worry about it. Come on, follow me."

When Yuui hesitated yet again, Fai sighed a little impatiently. "Come on! There's nothing that can hurt you down there. It's perfectly safe."

But still, Yuui shook his head and closed his eyes, blocking out his dead brother's smile, and backing up until he hit the solid wall again.

* * *

Fai sat upright with a strangled gasp as his doorknob turned and a light flickered on. Kurogane peered into the room, an irritated look on his face.

"You were crying out," the ninja said by way of explanation. Apparently satisfied that there were no threats present, he turned to Fai with a look that reminded Fai, for a split second, of Ashura when he was about to scold Fai for scaring away the other noble children. "What happened?"

Fai shuddered. The more he thought about it, the less clear the dream seemed to become. "Nothing," he said slowly.

"That wasn't nothing," Kurogane replied, an irritated look on his face. "If it was another nightmare, just say so."

"No!" Fai said quickly. He noticed he was rubbing his right wrist and clasped his hands firmly together in his lap. "It wasn't a nightmare."

"You were screaming."

Fai shrugged and lay back down, pulling the covers over his shoulders again. "It was nothing."

"Are you sure?" Kurogane took a step into Fai's room.

Fai threw back his covers and glared at Kurogane. "I said it was nothing!"

The ninja blinked, a look of surprise on his face. "Right then." He turned to leave, a strange look on his face as he turned the door.

Fai clenched his fists, the nails digging into his hand. Kurogane was just so irritating sometimes, the way he would prod and poke into stuff that was none of his business.

He slowly became aware of a feather light touch on his shoulder, but when he turned, there was no one and nothing there, only his shadow cast onto the wall beside him.

* * *

Yuui had to grip Fai's hand tightly as they stepped down the staircase together. The first time they had gone down, Fai had let go and Yuui had gotten scared and run back to the top, and couldn't be coaxed to try going down again for days. Now, Yuui held onto his brother as he whispered reassuring things to him.

"There's something I want to show you this time," Fai said cheerfully as they walked through the torch-lit hallway the staircase opened up into. "Something that you'll like, I think. I had it made just for you."

Yuui managed a shaky smile, unable to copy Fai's brilliant, natural one. "If you made it for me, I'm sure I'll like it."

"Don't say that before you even see it," Fai scolded lightly. He pulled Yuui along a bit faster. "Let's go!"

Yuui trotted along obediently as his brother led him past several imposing closed doors. They stopped at last before one, and Fai raised his hand.

The word KLEINE glowed briefly, a pulsating red against the dark, nearly black wood, and the double doors swung open. Inside was a room just like the lobby of the resort, with a roaring fireplace on one side.

Fai led the way to the couches, Yuui following him less certainly. He saw the dolls when he was a few meters away and stopped, horrified yet compelled by their twisted likeness.

"Come sit beside me!" Fai patted the empty seat by his side. "Do you like it?"

Yuui was too stunned to answer the question. He crept past the dolls quietly, as if afraid they would wake up, but the Syaoran and Sakura look-alikes just gazed at him blankly with painted marbles for eyes and the Kurogane look-alike grinned menacingly at him.

"What did you do?" He managed to ask at last.

Fai pouted a little bit. "Don't you like them? I spent a long time trying to get them to look realistic."

"But this isn't realistic!" Yuui cried out. "They're, they're …"

"Scary?" Fai suggested, and Yuui thought he looked satisfied. "But your companions _are _scary, Yuui. They're trying to steal you away from me. See how they're always watching?"

Sure enough, the dolls had turned to look at him and Yuui thought they looked like they disapproved.

"But …" he said, confused. "Sakura-chan and Syaoran-kun and Kuro-puu are good people. Mokona too."

"That's what they want you to think," Fai told him, in the manner of an older brother telling the younger how the world works. "We're lucky we're not like them, Yuui, we can count on each other no matter what. You'll always be there for me, right? I can count on you for anything?"

"… Right," Yuui agreed, his eyes trapped fearfully by the firelight reflecting in Kurogane's marble eyes. "Anything."

* * *

The weeks passed, and all four of them spent their time searching high and low in the hotel for any sign of the feather with no results.

"Maybe it's in one of the rooms," Fai suggested one day, when they met, tired and discouraged for a dinner that he had prepared. "We should open them up and check."

"Watanuki-san said not to," Syaoran replied uncertainly. "Maybe we shouldn't."

"He made it sound like there are frightening things in them," Sakura shivered. "Sometimes, during the night, I can hear laughter and then screaming …"

"Are you still having nightmares?" Fai asked, concerned.

Sakura shook her head. "Not anymore, but this place … There's just something about it …" She trailed off.

"Stop saying that," Fai snapped. He immediately regretted it when he saw the hurt on her face and the shock on everyone else's. He softened his tone and continued. "If you think about it that way, you'll get more frightened. We've looked all over, and we've found nothing wrong. There's nothing that can hurt us here."

"You sound like you're trying to hide something," Kurogane accused. "You haven't been acting normal since we first got here. What's going on, mage?"

Fai looked at Kurogane with distaste. Prying, always prying. Who was he to judge Fai? "Nothing."

"You need to stop saying that." Kurogane got up and glared down at Fai. "Maybe you really are an idiot and a fool and actually believe there's nothing wrong, but I don't believe that façade of yours. You do know something's up, but you won't tell us what it is."

"It's nothing," Fai insisted.

* * *

Later that night, Fai knocked gently on Kurogane's door. When the ninja opened the door and stared at him suspiciously, he lowered his hand slowly, and soon his eyes followed until they were focused on the ground.

"Sorry," he whispered. When little more than a small rush of air escaped his mouth, he cleared his throat and tried again. "I'm sorry. For how I acted at dinner tonight. I … I don't know what I was thinking. I don't know what happened."

Kurogane stared at him incredulously. "What's wrong with you? Coming here to apologize?"

Fai shrugged listlessly. "Maybe you're right. There's something …"

The shadows moved.

They rose in unison at Fai's words, leaping upwards on the walls and prowling across the ground, and Fai could have sworn he saw them quiver in anticipation and lean forward. They rose as one, but Fai could see the tiny movements that disrupted the nearly perfect flow – it wasn't one shadow, but thousands joined together.

"There's something," Kurogane repeated.

"Nothing," Fai denied quickly, watching the shadows, his heart pounding. At that one word, they seemed to relax slightly. "Nothing, nothing, nothing," he chanted, but the shadows still lingered behind Kurogane.

"God damnit," Kurogane grunted, turning around to go back into his room. "If you're not going to tell me anything, go back to your own room."

"Wait!" Fai reached out reflexively and grabbed Kurogane's arm. "Don't go!"

Kurogane gave him a long level glare. "This isn't the time for any of your games."

Fai shook his head. "No, no, it's not a game; it's -" But the shadows were rising again and Fai tugged sharply on Kurogane's arm. "It's nothing! Come on!"

Thankfully, Kurogane followed, if not happily. "There had better be a good explanation for this!" He shouted, but Fai was too busy watching the walls around them.

The shadows surged and leapt like a single-minded predator, and Fai could hear the faint beating of wings as they chased him.

"Nothing," he tried under his breath, but the word no longer had any effect and the shadows didn't stop. "Nothing. Nothing nothing nothingnothingnoTHINGNOTHING! THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THIS PLACE!"

Ignoring the other man's exclamations, he towed Kurogane into his room, opened the light, and slammed the door. The shadows flooded in under the door and with a cry, Fai slammed his hand on the light switch and the room was filled completely by darkness, the moon blocked out by the thick and heavy curtains.

He strained his ears and eyes, but could detect no more signs of movement. As his ragged breathing slowed, he realized that he was clutching tightly onto Kurogane and that Kurogane had his arms around him, steadying him as he swayed.

"What was that?" Kurogane asked finally, his voice low and rumbling in the silence.

Fai closed his eyes and leaned forward, his fear rising as he managed to spit out a single word.

"Nothing."

* * *

**A/N **- I can't think of much to say, besides that I'm (obviously) not following the original storyline very closely XD Also, this fic has been expanded from the original three parts to four, with a fifth that's basically a short epilogue. (Gah, I'm killing myself here between this and NaNo XD)

Thanks for reading! Third part should be up tomorrow, as soon as it's been beta'd.


	3. Ball

**Masquerade**

_Part III. Ball_

"You won't ever escape … _Yuui_."

"No," Yuui shivered, trying to tear his eyes away from his brother's rotting corpse. "Don't say that. I'll get out and I'll save you, Fai! I promise!"

The decomposing face twisted into a sneer. "I'm still waiting, dear brother. You're just running away right now, running away from Celes and running away from me. You never planned on keeping your promise!"

"No!" Yuui cried out, reaching forward to grab Fai's hand in his own. The flesh crumbled to dust as soon as he touched it, and he stared down at the now revealed bone in horror. "Fai?"

"Don't you see what you've done?" Fai whispered, leaning forward so that his face almost touched Yuui's. Yuui could smell the stench of death and decay on him, and wondered why Chii wasn't here and how his brother had come to be like this, when he had been fine every other time they had meet in dreams. "Don't you see what you've made me, with your broken promise?" He waved his skeleton hand in Yuui's face.

"NO!" Yuui's voice became shriller. "I'll keep my promise, I swear it! I'll do anything to prove it to you! Anything! I won't let you fade away, Fai!"

"Anything?" Fai asked, and his dead eyes gleamed.

Yuui hugged himself miserably. "Anything. Anything to fix what I've done."

"Good. There's one thing I want you to do for me …"

"What is it?"

"Kill … _Kurogane_."

* * *

"Wake up!"

Fai opened his eyes and bolted upright with a gasp. He collided with a solid body, who grunted in pain.

"Oi, mage. What's wrong with you?" Kurogane took his shoulders and they rearranged themselves so that they weren't tangled together.

"Sorry," Fai said, too dazed to say anything else.

"A nightmare?" Kurogane questioned, an unidentifiable look on his face. "This makes it every night so far this week."

Fai shook his head slowly. "I-I don't know. I don't remember." He bit his lip worriedly. What had happened in the dream? All he remembered was that he was with Fai again, and Fai had asked something of him … "Sorry for hitting you," he said, for lack of anything else to say. He was aware of Kurogane's eyes boring into him. "You can go back to sleep now."

He started as Kurogane stood, causing a squeak to rise from the mattress. The ninja turned on the light and gave Fai a long look, crossing his arms. Fai's eyes darted to the shadows lingering at his feet and he couldn't help the slight whimper that escaped as one of them _moved_.

"Cut the crap, mage." Fai raised his eyes slowly to look at Kurogane. "I know something's wrong. You can't get through a day anymore without jumping at every little sound, you're always having nightmares, and you're just not _here_ anymore. The kids are worried, and the whole thing with the meat bun was bad enough without you being out of it too. What's going on?"

Fai swallowed thickly as the image of Mokona's inert body rose in his mind. No matter what they did, the small white creature just wouldn't wake up, but it wasn't dead. They could all see the faint rise and fall of her chest, and Kurogane had pointed out several times that if Mokona really had died, no doubt the witch would have contacted them. It was the tiny bit of hope that they clung onto to.

"I don't know," he whispered. "I don't know." Again, a little bit louder. "I don't know!"

He turned his face away from Kurogane and fought the tears that were threatening to rise. It was all a ruse, wasn't it? Wasn't the ninja the one that Reed had warned him against in the very beginning? He was the one in the way of Fai's, of Yuui's wish. Why was he asking all these questions?

"Hey." The mattress sank a bit as the ninja sat down and reached out to awkwardly pat the blond's arm. "Don't cry."

Fai pressed his lips firmly together and tried to breathe through his nose, but all of a sudden the air seemed too thick and too full of _Kurogane_ – the earthy scent he always had around him, that Fai usually found reassuring but right now it was choking him and he couldn't breathe –

"HEY!" Fai barely heard Kurogane shouting in alarm as he fought through the cloud that was surrounding him, pressing in on all sides, and for a moment the empty air beside his arms felt like the beating of hundreds of wings, all light to the touch but enough that he cried out, his arms moving of their own accord and then he was drowning, drowning in the drone of the insects as they surrounded him –

Fai slowly realized that Kurogane was holding his shoulders tightly and shaking him. His lips were moving, and Fai tried to concentrate on them, but his ears didn't seem to be working and no sound was penetrating through his mind.

The longer he sat there numbly, the slower Kurogane's lips moved and the lighter the weight on his shoulders became.

"It's okay," Kurogane concluded gruffly, and Fai twitched at the sound of his voice. "Just … I don't know. We need to find the feather, but if there's something really wrong, we need to leave. Whatever it is …"

"T-thank you," Fai whispered, although he hadn't heard any of the comforting things he supposed he was meant to hear. "Kuro …"

"What is it?" The ninja asked, his hands slipping away from Fai. He looked away awkwardly and spoke to the wall instead. "I know I'm really the worst at comforting people … I … She – Tomoyo-hime – used to always tease me about it."

This little bit of information, a small glimpse into Kurogane's past life, was enough to snap Fai back into the present. He forced a weary smile, dimly aware that they were getting harder and harder to hold each time.

"Thank you, Kuro-rin," he said softly, not without meaning. "I really am sorry. I don't know what's gotten into me these days …"

"There's something not right about this place," Kurogane murmured darkly, glaring around at the room as if he hoped to locate the source of his troubles right away and pound some sense into it. "We still haven't found the feather, and we've been here for nearly two months. The kid's been reading through all the stuff in the basement, and some of the things done in here … it's not normal."

"Don't say that!" Fai nearly shouted, then caught himself. Syaoran and Sakura would still be sleeping at this time, Syaoran holding the princess's hand even though her nightmares had stopped long ago. "It … I mean," Fai paused, confused. "They might hear you. The kids."

Kurogane gave him a look that told him he had done something strange again.

"How's Syaoran-kun doing with all the research?" Fai asked hurriedly, trying to divert the ninja's attention from himself. "Is he any closer to finding the feather?"

Kurogane answered, his voice low, "You asked the exact same thing at dinner, and the kid hasn't done any more work since. He spent the evening with the princess. You know that; you mentioned how cute they were to me."

Fai fell silent, rattled. Why didn't he remember that?

"I think I'll go back to sleep," he said uncertainly, lying down again in bed. Tears threatened again, and as Kurogane got up to go back to his side of the room, Fai tugged on his arm. "Can you stay?"

"I'm already just on the other bed," Kurogane grunted, looking down at Fai. "I moved in here a month ago. You remember that, right? When you came to my room and started screaming nonsense?"

Fai nodded slowly. He did remember making a fuss about it, teasing and poking Kurogane until he had given in and settled down on the other bed in his room with a huff. "I remember." More quietly, he added, "It wasn't nonsense."

"It sounded like it." Kurogane strode back to the doorway and closed the light. "Don't go insane on us now, mage. We still have another three months to go."

"Wait," Fai whispered, biting on his lip. "Please. Stay."

Kurogane's dark figure sighed and walked back over to his bed. Fai shifted over and the ninja joined him under the covers, much like the days when they landed in a world where they could only afford or obtain two beds and they had been forced to share.

Fai felt comforted by the memories of all the happier days, and he snuggled into Kurogane's chest and inhaled the soothing scent. He murmured sleepily, "Goodnight, Kuro-puu."

Kurogane snorted. He draped an arm cautiously over Fai and held him there. "Go to sleep, idiot."

A small smile passed onto Fai's lips and he pressed a hand against Kurogane's ribcage, aware of the heartbeat thrumming underneath his hand.

_There's one thing I want you to do for me, Yuui …_

… _Kill him!_

Fai's hand tightened on Kurogane's shirt.

* * *

Fai opened his eyes again to find himself pinned against the bed with Kurogane leaning over him, holding him down. He struggled, confused and disoriented, but the ninja was much stronger.

"What are you doing?" He cried out, trying to ease the weight threatening to crush him.

Kurogane stared down at him. "Are you back? Is it you again?"

"What are you talking about?"

Kurogane gave him a long, measured look. Fai squirmed a little under the pressure, but Kurogane soon let go and back away. "You don't remember anything from today?"

Fai stared at him uncomprehendingly. "The last thing I remember is falling asleep beside you." He was aware of the faint heat that flooded his cheeks as he said so, his shame and embarrassment at the weak display he had put on last night. "What time is it?"

"Nearly seven in the evening," Kurogane replied gruffly. "You just tried stabbing Sakura with a kitchen knife because you thought she was whining too much about Mokona."

Fai had to remind himself to breathe as he took in the news. "That … that wasn't me. I didn't do it. I wouldn't do something like that!" He reached out for Kurogane, desperately needing the other man to believe him.

"I know," Kurogane said abruptly, grabbing hold of Fai's wrists before his hands made contact. "But you did. Something happened, and you did."

"No," Fai shivered, backing up and trying to tug away from Kurogane. "This is all a dream. This is just a nightmare. If I go back to sleep right now, I'll open my eyes again and I'll still be in bed and nothing will have happened."

"No!" Kurogane said firmly, tightening his grip on Fai. "This is real. I don't know what you dream about, but whatever it is, that's what's not real. That's what makes you wake up every night, either screaming or sweating like you've been chased all over this place."

"Let go!" Fai screamed, wrenching his hands away and holding them to his chest. "You're not Kuro-tan! My Kuro-tan would never accuse me of stabbing Sakura-chan! I wouldn't! I didn't!"

"I'm not saying you did! I didn't say anything like that!" Kurogane shouted back, hands now clenched at his side. "This is what I've been trying to say all along! There's something wrong with this place, something that's changing you!"

"I would never stab anyone! I would never kill anyone!" Fai shrieked, backing up as far away from Kurogane as he could. "Don't accuse me of anything! You don't know what happened to me in my past! You can't possibly understand! Just leave me alone!"

Fai froze suddenly as the shadows lifted themselves silently up from the floor and walls and hovered over Kurogane's shoulder. They covered his entire body until the only thing remaining was his eyes, burning red and staring right at Fai.

Then the shadows reached for him.

* * *

This time, Fai was nowhere in sight as Yuui found himself in the tower. With a wretched sob, he stumbled towards the tower and nearly fell down the stairs in his haste to find his twin. The staircase no longer pushed him back; rather, it seemed to pull him down into its depths.

Blinded by tears, Yuui slowly made his way towards the hotel lobby that existed in this hallway. He gradually became aware of the light chatter that filled the air and he brushed aside his tears to look ahead. The double doors he was making his way towards were already open, and the noise was floating out of it to him.

Confused, he quickened his pace. He peered through the doorway to see the lobby full of people, the majority of which held a dainty glass in their hand. The smell of alcohol lingered in the air and everyone, from the men with gray hair to the women with no wrinkles on their faces, held a mask up to their face.

"Yuui!" Fai appeared before him. "You're just in time for the party."

Yuui looked at him, confused. His brother no longer wore the rags of the tower. His hair had been cut, and was now pulled back into a ponytail that fell only to his shoulders. He had grown, from a tortured young child to someone that Yuui sometimes saw in the mirror, when he was dreaming – no, when he was awake. He was wearing an expensive looking suit, so different from the prisoner's robes he had worn before.

"Fai?" He asked hesitantly.

His brother chuckled and draped an arm across his shoulders. "Who else would it be? Come in, come in! We're celebrating a great success today."

"What happened?" Yuui asked, but he got no answer. Instead, Fai dragged him in, dodging around gleaming masks. He was taken to the couches in front of the fireplace, yet again. The three dolls were still there. They were all dressed now for the occasion, roughly sewn clothes pulled onto their bodies. "What's going on?"

"You'll need a mask, of course," Fai said, surveying him in front of the fire. "We'll have to do something about the clothes." He snapped his fingers, and a butler appeared out of nowhere with a clothes identical to Fai's. "See, if you wear this, we'll be exactly like each other again. We can be together again."

Yuui nodded and ducked behind the screen strategically placed a few feet to his left to change. At first, he assumed the clothes were meant for his body as he had been while he was in the tower, both in dreams and in reality, but to his surprise he realized that he was in the body that he occupied while he was with the dolls' mirrors. The suit slide on easily and fit perfectly, as it should.

Yuui stepped out, happy to see that they were exactly identical once more. Fai let out a happy cry and Yuui did a shy spin for him, showing off how perfectly it fit.

"We have no need for him anymore," Fai whispered slyly and he plucked the mask from the Kurogane doll, before ripping its head off and tossing both pieces into the fire. The fire roared up and ate it greedily. Yuui watched in a fascinated kind of horror, and when something bumped against his shoe, he looked down.

He picked up the marbles that had been Kurogane's red eyes and rolled them around in his hand for a moment, before letting them drop again. Fai was right, as long as there was the two of them, they didn't need anyone else.

Fai moved on to the next doll, the Syaoran look-alike. He also tore this one into two bits before allowing the flames to lick hungrily at its newest prey. When Fai got to Sakura, Yuui saw with a jolt that there was a knife, right where her heart would have been (_was that me - did I do that_), and he looked at it curiously.

"Here." Fai held out Kurogane's mask to him. It was elegant and black, with feathers that adorned the top just like the one Fai was twirling around in his own hand. "Take this, and we can go in and enjoy with everyone else."

There was a sudden swell in music and Yuui turned his head. The doors to the ballroom had opened and the guests were all flooding through them, a hush falling over them as they were subdued by the enchantment of the decorations within.

"Quickly, or we'll get left behind," Fai said, smiling. "We can go in together and make an entrance. What do you say?"

Yuui nodded mutely and took the mask from Fai. They raised their arms in unison and covered their faces. Fai held out his arm and Yuui took it, and they walked into the ballroom, indiscernible from each other, with the dolls long forgotten behind them.

* * *

**A/N** - Phew, almost there. Despite the fact that this was supposed to sort of follow the format of a play like the original novel, I failed at placing the climax in the third part and it's in the fourth instead XD Hope you guys enjoy, get a little creeped out, and leave a review =D

DouWata makes their return in the next chapter =D


	4. Unmask

**Masquerade**

_Part IV. Unmask _

Watanuki stared up at the ceiling in Doumeki's room with a vague unease. As much as he tried to shove it out of his mind, he couldn't avoid the feeling that something was dreadfully wrong at the Kleine.

"You've been really quiet," Doumeki observed, turning over in bed beside him so that he also stared up at the ceiling. He studied it carefully for a few minutes, but after apparently not finding anything of interest, turned his attention to Watanuki again. "It's not like you."

"Don't be irritating," Watanuki snapped, but only half his heart was in it. Part of his mind was still screaming at him that something was wrong, that he had made a really bad decision in letting that small group stay at the hotel for the winter. "I'm just wondering how they're all doing in the Kleine."

"It's been nearly three months, and we haven't heard anything from them," Doumeki pointed out sensibly. "If something happened, we would have found out by now."

"Not if they're all dead," Watanuki replied uneasily. The words landed heavily, striking blows against his chest as he spoke them. "Not if something terrible has happened and they can't get help."

"That's a pessimistic way of thinking," Doumeki said, almost critically, and Watanuki twisted to glare at him.

"You could be a little bit consoling," he informed him coldly. "I'm trying to stress out here, so either you agree with me and we do something about it, or you disagree and you talk me out of doing anything about it."

"How about we just stop talking," Doumeki suggested, and leaned forward for a kiss.

Watanuki shoved him back, keeping his hands between their bare chests underneath the covers. "Not now, you great big oaf. There's something wrong, I can just _feel_ it."

"Ask the witch." Doumeki looked at Watanuki, head propped up on one hand, as if this answer should have been easy. "She'll know."

"But would she tell me? Watanuki brooded, and then shook his head. "Even if I wanted to, I have no way of contacting Yuuko. She just appears out of nowhere whenever she wants something from me, the greedy –"

"I would stop right there, if I were you," a familiar voice said cheerfully from the hallway. Watanuki gaped in horror and Doumeki watched in amusement as their bedroom door was flung open, and the Dimension Witch strode in, dressed in a coat made from unidentifiable furs that covered her from neck down to her ankles. "How are the two darling lovebirds?"

"We're good," Doumeki replied easily as Watanuki spluttered, his face slowly going red. "And you?"

"Fantastic," Yuuko said happily. She took off her gloves and stuffed them into her pocket. "Watanuki, be a good host and get me a drink."

After a few more moments, during which Watanuki's expressions ranged from incredulous to furious to resigned, he sighed and pushed himself up. "Get out so I can get dressed first."

Yuuko complied, even shutting the door behind her as she flounced back off into the corridor. When Watanuki had deemed himself and Doumeki presentable, they made their way down the stairs to where Yuuko was waiting in Doumeki's living room. The back wall, made entirely of glass, illuminated the room with its view of the fresh snow.

Yuuko was lounging languidly on one of the long couches in the room, her fur coat draped carelessly over the back of her seat. She appeared to be studying, or playing with, something in her hands, but when Doumeki and Watanuki appeared, she hastily stored it out of sight.

"I have a job for you," she purred, before they were even seated. Watanuki noted with annoyance that she had taken the liberty of opening the alcohol cabinet for herself. "It'll be slightly dangerous, but it'll go a long way towards paying off your debt to me. What do you say?"

"What is it?" Watanuki asked cautiously. He had had too many bad experiences with jobs that the witch considered 'slightly dangerous'.

Yuuko took a dainty sip of the sake she had poured for herself. "The Kleine. You let four travelers stay there over the winter, right?"

Watanuki nodded, feeling the icy dread clutching at his heart.

Yuuko straightened up and looked at him straight in the eyes, her customary sly grin gone. "I need you to do this."

"What is it?" Watanuki asked again, his mouth feeling surprisingly dry. "What do you want me to do?"

"Save them," Yuuko said, and her eyes seemed to flutter with a million secrets. "Do whatever you can, everything that you can, to save them. It's essential that they leave this world safe and sane."

Watanuki licked his lips. He paused, to think it over logically, but his heart was already set on going back and doing whatever he could to help. "How? What do I do?"

The witch reached behind her and seemed to pull a bow and quiver out of nowhere. "This is for Doumeki. It will be up to him to strike the final blow."

"There are no arrows," Doumeki remarked, his eyes on the empty quiver. "What will I shoot with?"

"Just shoot as you normally would," Yuuko told him. "Your powers as an exorcist are quite strong, strong enough to keep the hotel at bay, and strong enough to destroy it if its gather in one place and you really focus your power."

Doumeki blinked and nodded. Watanuki scowled at Yuuko. "Why do I have to go then?"

Yuuko lifted an eyebrow. "You're hardly going to let Doumeki go running off alone, are you?"

The raven-haired male frowned and turned away in a huff. "I guess not."

"If you succeed, and even return the bow, you can consider your payment filled," Yuuko informed him, her voice brisk and business-like. "The price of interference is mine to pay."

Watanuki looked at her in concern, but she didn't notice, or pretended not to.

"Your plane tickets," Yuuko said, as she held them out to him. A grin slid back onto her face once Watanuki took them. "They came out of your bank account, of course."

"We could have just driven there!" Watanuki protested.

"You have to hurry," Yuuko insisted, her tone serious again.

Watanuki groaned loudly and then stomped off to pack.

* * *

Kurogane watched in fear as the mage's body seized up, as if all the muscles in his body were tensing, then relaxed completely and fell forward. Kurogane caught him, not too delicately, and winced when Fai's head crashed into his ribs.

"Oi," he said gruffly, shaking the blond. "Wake up. Come on, idiot, this isn't the time to go crazy on us. We have to figure out what we're going to do, if we can't stay here."

Fai didn't reply. Kurogane stared at his inert body. For a horrible moment, he thought the blond had stopped breathing and he placed his hand nervously under the mage's nose, greatly relieved when he felt the air tickling his skin.

Kurogane sat there, with Fai in his lap, as the hours crawled by slowly. He was determined to keep Fai bound, if necessary, when he woke up, but otherwise, he would do whatever he could to help the mage emerge from the grasp of the hotel and his own nightmares.

Syaoran poked his head in once, a shaken but still caring Sakura by his side, but Kurogane sent them away quickly. "I'll take care of this," he said, and Syaoran had opened his mouth to protest but Kurogane glared at him and he closed it again. With a nod, Syaoran closed the door behind him as he left with Sakura.

"Come on." He shook Fai again. "Wake up!"

As if they were waiting for their cue, Fai's blue eyes shot open. Rather than their usual clear sky blue, they seemed to almost be spotted with flecks of black – as if there were shadows moving within them.

"Mage?" Kurogane asked hesitantly. "Do you know where you are and what time it is?"

Without saying a word, Fai pushed himself up and away from Kurogane. He let the blond climb out of his grasp and simply watched as Fai stood up mechanically on the far side of the bed. He stepped lightly towards the door and flung it open with a bang.

"Hey –" Kurogane started forward with a protest, but Fai swept out of the room without taking any note of him. The ninja hurried to his feet and followed the mage, certain that something was amiss again. He glanced around uneasily as the hallway lights flickered and a faint buzzing noise filled the corridor, and from time to time, as he fell into step a meter or so behind Fai, he swore he could see the shadows fluttering along the walls.

"Mage," he hissed, grabbing the blond's arm as he stepped onto the staircase to go downstairs. "What's going on? Where are you going?"

Fai turned to him, his eyes dull and dark. "The kitchen," he replied blankly, and shook himself free of Kurogane's grip. He walked down the stairs calmly, not even sliding down the banister or launching himself from the fifth lowest stair with some ridiculous cry of joy.

Kurogane followed, and reached out for Fai again, but the other man dodged him and quickened his pace. Fai strode past the front desk, and the moonlight lit up his hair so that he seemingly shone with a supernatural light. They made their way to the kitchen, where the lights were off, and Kurogane found himself flinching away from the twisting shadows – but he was being ridiculous, because shadows didn't move of their own accord and they certainly couldn't hurt him.

_Kill him_, they said in their quiet whispers of movement, but Kurogane hurried after Fai and shook his head angrily, trying to clear himself of his delusions. Other words slid in and out of his hearing, but Kurogane was too focused on Fai to pay any attention to what they were saying.

Once they entered the kitchen, Fai headed immediately to the right, his path sure and steady. Kurogane followed more slowly, eyes darting from side to side to try and take in their surroundings – but it was shadows, all shadows, and surely the darkness shouldn't be so complete in here? It was dark enough that he could only just barely make out Fai in front of him, and he relied more on the soft tread of his footsteps to guide him.

"Hey," he called out, wincing as his voice pierced the murmuring silence. "Stop! Where are you going?"

There was no answer, and Fai's shape faded into the blackness. Kurogane increased his strides forward, a frown settling onto his face, but the mage didn't reappear. He took another step, less sure of himself now, and then another – was the kitchen really this big? Another step – and the lights turned on, their brilliance blinding him for a moment. One hand went to his sword hilt, a habit ingrained from years of training, and he was extremely glad that he had chosen to keep it with him rather than give it to Mokona in this world.

Something flung itself at him, and Kurogane retreated, whipping his blade upwards to block the slash of silver coming down. Sohi met the wickedly sharp kitchen knife with a clang, and Kurogane was nearly forced to his knees with the unexpected strength of the blow. He pushed upwards and sideways, casting the knife aside and trying to twist it out of the writhing black creature's grip with no success.

He leaned into the offensive, pressing forward with a flurry of attacks that the shifting thing in front of him always seemed to manage to avoid, its body twisting and turning and rippling on the surface as if it was made up of thousands of entities bound together with a single goal in mind.

"Where is he?" Kurogane grunted out as they fought. The shadows leapt at him, its nearly humanoid shape losing definition for a moment as the knife flashed and Kurogane stumbled backwards, shadows pressing in behind him until he was surrounded on all sides, their light touches lingering on his skin. He clutched his side, where blood was slowly seeping through his torn shirt, and growled defiantly. "What did you do to him?"

The creature laughed manically and raised its arm for a killing blow. _Don't you realize? _It asked, glittering black. _Haven't you figured it out by now? _The knife fell down and Kurogane flung himself to the side and lashed out, feeling satisfaction as his blade sliced into something solid. The shadows fell back with a screech, melting away until Fai stood there alone, eyes closed, a gash across his chest.

Kurogane swore loudly, and moved forward to support the swaying mage, but the shadows swarmed in front of him, blocking his way feebly. It seemed that without their human host, they were incapable of becoming fully solid. Kurogane persisted, pushing his way through until he reached Fai, who collapsed in his arms.

He opened his eyes, and Kurogane was horrified to see that they were blank and unseeing. "Mage?" He whispered, trying to get past the emotion clogging up his throat. "Damnit, say something!"

_He's ours now_, the shadows insisted, fluttering against him. _He said he would do anything for __**him**_**.**

"Mage!" He yelled, ripping Fai's flimsy shirt and then his own into strips to form a makeshift bandage. "Just wake up!"

Fai's eyes drooped shut again, but his hand, the one that wasn't holding the knife, fluttered weakly. Kurogane grasped it in his own and squeezed.

"Wake up," he repeated, trying to keep the desperation he was feeling out of his voice. "Wake up!"

With a labored exhale, Fai stirred a little and pushed himself up slightly. Kurogane held him, keeping a hand in his, and watched for any further movement. The blond's lips moved slightly, and Kurogane knelt down. His ear was nearly brushing Fai's mouth before he heard him, ever so faintly, saying one word.

"Sorry," Fai breathed out again, a tiny puff of air against his ear. Kurogane nearly dropped Fai as the mage's body convulsed, and the shadows swarmed again over it, stronger and thicker than before, and he was horrified to see that they had taken up their own shape – large insects, crawling and flying all over Fai's form.

"Give him back!" Kurogane roared, trying to plunge his hand through the twisting blackness on top of Fai, but he was repelled and the shadows, having claimed Fai once again, sat up and grinned. "He's not yours!"

They were strong, stronger than before, and Kurogane found himself fighting an opponent that was everywhere at once, yet he couldn't land a blow. He didn't dare aim for the core again, in case he hurt Fai, and Sohi bit uselessly at overwhelming darkness.

_Let's play a game_, the creature suggested, and solid tendrils curled upwards to bind Kurogane's hand and feet. _Let's see how long you can hold out before you break._

"Never," Kurogane spat out, struggling against the bindings holding him in place. "I'll never give in."

_Won't you? _The shadows parted once more, flowing downwards so that Fai's head was revealed. One by one, the individual shapes crawled up slowly and approached Fai's eyelids, nose, or mouth, and they crawled **into**him, disappearing through his milky skin as if it was nothing. _He's ours now. He was never yours to begin with!_

Kurogane couldn't help the shudder that passed through him as the seventh – or maybe the eight, or even the ninth – one began its journey up Fai's neck. "Stop it!" He raged, trying to free himself of the buzzing shadows that clung to him. "I SAID STOP IT!"

The insect paused, and there was a faint ripple in the room towards the direction of the entrance. Fai lifted his head up, and Kurogane felt a moment of – relief? terror? – but when his eyes opened, Kurogane saw that they were pitch black and flat.

_We have a visitor_, the creature proclaimed in surprise. Fai's form was lifted up and the shadows flowed towards the main doors as one, the humanoid shape in the middle leading the way. _We'll deal with these rude people first, and then come back. Don't worry, we'll be back soon._

Kurogane was about to shout out for help, but there was a sudden pressure around his neck and he fell into darkness.

* * *

"This storm," Watanuki said uncertainly as he tried to peer through the white snow in front of the windshield. Doumeki was in the driver's seat beside him, his knuckles nearly white from clutching the steering wheel. "It's not natural, is it?"

Doumeki grunted in response as the savage wind hurled itself at their vehicle. The car that they had picked up at the airport jerked sideways and he cursed quietly. Watanuki steadied himself and stared at the hazy whiteness.

"I hope we're not too late," he said tensely as a smudge of darkness appeared. "Yuuko wouldn't have sent us if we weren't able to complete the job, would she?"

Doumeki didn't reply and Watanuki stared at the looming Kleine as it became more and more defined. The storm lashed and clawed at them, but Doumeki managed to inch his way safely forward until they were at the front of the resort.

Watanuki looked at Doumeki. "You don't have to do this, you know."

Doumeki just turned and extracted the bow and quiver from the backseat. "But you do."

"So let me do it," Watanuki said, holding onto Doumeki's arm. "You might not even be able to see what you're fighting against."

"The witch said it was up to me," Doumeki replied stubbornly. "I'm not about to let you go in there alone."

"You're an idiot," Watanuki huffed affectionately. He opened his door and the wind shrieked in his face, slapping him backwards. He gritted his teeth and struggled out of the car, amazed at the fact that Doumeki had even managed to get them up to the Kleine in these conditions.

Watanuki staggered towards the main doors and flung them open. Doumeki followed closely in his footsteps. Once they stepped inside the lobby, the doors slammed shut and a sudden unnatural hush fell around them.

"It looks normal," Watanuki whispered with surprise. He wasn't sure what he had been expecting – destroyed furniture, maybe, or at least panicked screams – but the place was deathly quiet. "Maybe everyone is sleeping."

He stood there undecidedly for a moment then turned to ask Doumeki what he thought. When he saw his partner, his eyes flew open and he gave a strangled gasp. There were flowing shadows lurking around him menancingly, yet none of them touched him.

"What is it?" Doumeki asked, giving him a strange look.

"Can't you see – the shadows –" Watanuki gestured wildly, but he knew that of course the other couldn't see. Doumeki never could. "Just – stand still and don't move!"

_We have a visitor_, the shadows whispered insubstantially. _Or perhaps … an intruder?_ Watanuki fought the urge to back up, knowing that he couldn't leave Doumeki to fight what he couldn't see alone.

"Let go of him," he said, trying to keep the tremble out of his voice. "Leave him alone!"

_We can't touch him_, was his reply. The shapeless mass shifted, and leaned slightly towards him. Watanuki took an involuntary step back. _But you …_

They leapt forward, and Watanuki let out a strangled yell as they changed, becoming a swarm of yellow wasps that flew straight at him in a pack. He scrambled back, no longer reluctant to move, and dashed towards the staircase, barely aware that Doumeki, the fool, was following him.

_Going somewhere? _The insects overtook him and hovered at the top of the staircase. Watanuki's gaze followed them up and he let out another exclaimation at what he saw.

"It's the blond," Doumeki remarked, faint surprise in his voice. "Maybe you woke him up with your screaming."

Watanuki couldn't find the words to tell Doumeki how absolutely and terribly horrifying the scene was. Fai was standing with one hand on the banister, his eyes dead and black as he stared down at the two of them. The wasps that settled on him dissolved back into shadows, and draped around his shoulders as if proclaiming him their leader. The other insects landed on the railing, the carpet, the walls, until everything that Watanuki could see was covered in them.

He started up the stairs, Doumeki at his heels. "Fai!" He called out desperately. "What's going on? What happened to you?"

There was no answer. Instead, Fai raised his hand and the wasps all rose as one, some of them fading into shadows, and the writhing mass all rushed at him. _We don't welcome intruders!_

Watanuki gasped and tried to jump out of the way, but he was struck and the insects swarmed around him as he batted furtively at them. They clogged the air and he screamed, as some landed and crawled all over him and others stung him. He took a step backwards, but the shadows tripped up his feet and he was vaguely aware of Doumeki's cry and his futile grab.

He landed awkwardly, hearing a loud crack as he did. Doumeki was at his side in seconds, amber eyes burning into his, barely distinguishable from the golden insects. He seemed to be saying something, but blackness was dancing across Watanuki's vision.

"Damnit," he managed to gasp out, hoping desperately that the idiot could hear him. "Shoot! Use the bow! Use …"

The shadows smothered him and he couldn't even pull in enough air to scream.

* * *

Kurogane opened his eyes and staggered to his feet. The kitchen was empty, the lights off, but there was a frightening lack of darkness. The shadows were all gone. He clutched the wound on his side and made his way towards the entrance, trying to shove aside the weakness he felt.

A scream made him hurry, although it wasn't one that he recognized, and he remembered the shadow's ominous words before he had passed out. He dashed into the main hall, and saw the fronk desk clerk from months ago kneeling over the cook, who had passed out.

"He's not breathing," the clerk said in a strangled voice as Kurogane reached him, more to himself than to the ninja. He stood fluidly, pulling a large bow from his back and drawing back the bowstring. Kurogane followed his gaze and saw, to his horror, Fai looking down at them from the top of the stairs. The shadows were once again a thick, black entity behind him.

"Don't!" Kurogane shouted, running forward, but it was too late. The clerk released the string, and although there was no visible arrow that Kurogane could see, **something** flew and this shining streak pierced Fai right through the heart.

Kurogane screamed as Fai did, running up the stairs as fast as he could. He rushed to Fai's fallen body as it convulsed, the shadows thick around it. "No! Mage!"

The shadows shrieked horribly and Kurogane clenched his hands furiously. "You idiot mage! Damnit, Fai, WAKE UP!"

* * *

**A/N** - I meant to upload this sooner but I actually forgot that it wasn't on ff yet .. Whoops XD

I have really mixed feelings about this chapter, so I need you guys to review! Tell me, was it too full of action and not creepy enough? Did I fail at creating suspense? Was it a bit confusing? All critiques will be much appreciated.

(also, to those that I still have to reply to by PM - I haven't forgotten about you and I'm not avoiding/ignoring you! I just have had no time lately, but I'll be around tomorrow? D:)


	5. After Party

**Masquerade**

_Part V. After Party_

"Thank you," Sakura said warmly as she hugged the now-awake Mokona in her arms. "We're really grateful about everything you've done."

"It's no problem," Watanuki replied, giving them a smile. "You shouldn't really be thanking me, anyway."

"Doumeki-san." Sakura turned solemnly to face the taller male. "You saved our lives. We can't ever thank you enough for that."

"Have a safe journey," Doumeki said. He placed his arm around Watanuki's shoulders, but the shorter male didn't react. "I hope you find whatever it is that you're looking for."

"Mokona missed all the fun!" the small creature cried out sadly. "All Mokona was good for was finding the feather in the end, and it was just lying there on the ground!"

"You did a great job noticing it though," Syaoran comforted her hastily. "We were all so busy with Fai-san and Watanuki-san that none of us noticed that the feather had floated down from the chandelier, and we were all so relieved when you woke up. We were all really worried about you."

"To think that something had such an enormous power with my feather, and then it got even stronger by taking in Moko-chan and Fai-san's magic …" Sakura whispered, a frightened look on her face. "How did it happen?"

Watanuki gave a small shrug, one arm in a cast. "The Kleine has a long, bloody history. There were plenty of angry spirits that had lingered at the scene of their murder. When I worked there, I sometimes saw things, flickers of movement, but I never imagined …" He lapsed into an upset silence.

Kurogane interrupted the conversation impatiently. "This is all great, but can we move on? I want to get as far away from this bloody hotel as possible."

"Kuro-tan is just lazy and fat," Mokona proclaimed, bouncing over to perch on his head. Kurogane growled but couldn't raise a hand to swat at her. "He doesn't want to carry Fai anymore!"

"That's not it!" Kurogane flushed. He shook his head and tried to fling Mokona off, but she hung onto his hair stubbornly. "Get off!"

"Then Kuro-woof really likes holding Fai?" Mokona suggested cheerfully.

"That's not it either!" Kurogane roared, increasing his efforts to get the irritating thing off. "Don't call me those stupid nicknames! I get enough of that from the idiot!"

Mokona jumped down and landed on Fai's hands, which were curled up slightly against Kurogane's chest as he held him bridal style. "All work and no play makes Kuro-daddy such a dull boy!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" He growled at the energetic creature.

Mokona raised her paw enthusiastically and squeaked out loudly, "I'm sure that once Fai-mommy is feeling better he will have plenty of time to play with Kuro-daddy!"

"I'm going to kill you!" Kurogane bared his teeth. Mokona gave a happy squeal and bounded away, onto Sakura's shoulder. The brunette turned slightly from her conversation with Syaoran and the two inhabitants of this world.

"It's time to go to the next world!" Mokona declared, the witch's magic circle flaring up beneath them. "Goodbye!"

Everyone shouted out their goodbyes. Kurogane looked down at Fai and shifted his light body slightly in his arms. Under the pretense of checking the blond's breathing, Kurogane bent his head until he could press his lips gently against Fai's forehead.

"Sweet dreams, you idiot."

* * *

**A/N** - Uh, wow. So basically I'm not even going to try to apologize for such a long wait, because it was just sheer stupidity and forgetfulness on my part. I totally forgot about this fic, since I posted it all on LJ ages ago, and I only just realized I never finished it here because I was tidying up my fic folder on my computer.

Bit of an explanation of the ending, for those who haven't read Holic - Doumeki has the power to repel spirits, but this power doesn't carry over to humans, so when he shoots Fai, the shadows are hurt but Fai isn't (but Kurogane didn't know that).

Hope you all enjoyed this fic, seeing as it really wasn't my best work (and this part is so _late_) I churned it out in about a week, on top of NaNoWriMo, and I would have liked to have written much more and made it longer, but time just didn't allow it.


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